Page 20 of To Catch A Rook

“I like watching you train.”

I snapped out of my post-survival trance at the sound of his voice. The gruff and sultry baritone filled me with a pleasant and familiar sense of calm, before inevitably piercing through me in spikes of irritation.

“I’d say I enjoy seeing you, but that’s too infrequent to really count.”

Kellan quirked a bushy blond brow at me in muted amusement and folded his arms across the broad expanse of his chest. “This again?”

He was dressed in training clothes. A navy athletic t-shirt molded to his immense form, revealing the shaded masterpiece inked along every patch of exposed skin. His hair was pulled back in a high bun, loose tendrils framing his shadowed cheekbones and highlighting his sharp features.

The beautiful man was physically perfect, but emotionally stunted. I refused to waste any energy chasing after him today.

“You missed a great time while you and your penis were off sulking.” I shrugged a shoulder and pushed past him. Grabbing my water bottle from the floor, I turned my back to him and took a long swig.

Strong notes of bergamot and amber washed over me just before his powerful form wrapped around me from behind. His body heat radiated into the drying sweat on my skin. Solid forearms crossed my chest and pressed in on me with enough force to keep me molded to his body.

Bristles of his beard brushed over the shell of my ear while he slid one arm slowly down the front of my chest, his fingers languidly moving downward until they gently traced along the band of my leggings.

“My penis can let off steam elsewhere. But no one can match that smart mouth.”

As his tongue traced the outline of my earlobe, for one second I allowed myself to enjoy his touch; to enjoy the way only he could take me hostage and pull me apart. I relaxed into him as his lips traveled further down the column of my neck. He nipped at every spot he knew would make me putty in his hands.

Heshifted his weight just the barest amount, enough to bite at my shoulder. I seized the opportunity to drop, twist, and headbutt him right into his sizable ball sac.

“Ummmff.” Kellan’s pained grunt reverberated through my skull, but I wasn’t quick enough to roll to the side. Large hands wrapped around my ponytail. However, instead of an angry pull to cause me pain like Taylor, Kellan lifted me firmly upward in an almost gentle motion until I was standing before him.

His stormy face broke into a brilliant grin. “Good girl, Killer. Next time, shift your force diagonally as soon as you make contact.”

I wrinkled my brow, confused but pleased by the praise. The mats squeaked beneath my feet as I took a step backwards, placing a healthy amount of distance between the undeniable magnetism that crackled between us.

I didn’t want to acknowledge the heat in his stare, or the growing outline of the bulge beneath his shorts. I changed the subject.

“How long have you known Sammy?”

He wouldn’t have made it through the door without knowing the man well. This was a private session I paid heavily for. Sammy would have gutted anyone who’d forced their way through the doors during my training time.

Shutters closed over the Viking’s deep blue eyes, taking my lead at the shift in conversation.

“Old family friend,” he replied smoothly and picked up a ratty towel from the ground beside him, tossing it at me. I stared at the torn material and flung it back at him, reaching instead for my Egyptian cotton pink one.

He smirked at me knowingly, but I ignored him. I liked nice things and I wouldn’t apologize for that.

An ‘old family friend’ meant the Carlos Cartel had once employedmytrainer.

When I had come to Sammy, I didn’t have the same resources or people at my disposal I had now. I had investigated him to the best of my ability and while finding his past checkered with government-sanctioned murders and ties to illegitimate dictatorships, I had discovered no links to Antonio Carlos.

Although, with the ease he chopped off male appendages, I should have assumed he had some experience working for the most renowned criminal organization on this side of the planet.

I had never questioned his loyalty, and this new piece of information didn’t change that. It just … complicated things. I didn’t need more ties to Antonio Carlos in my life.

As if on cue, Sammy stepped out of his office and strode toward us.

“Hermano!” He slapped a hand on Kellan’s shoulder, even though he only came up to the base of the big man’s chin. “Como estás?”

Kellan’s eyes lit up and he greeted Sammy like an old friend; the two continued their conversation in rapid Spanish while I watched warily. Their amiable smiles and relaxed body language suggested a familiarity I wasn’t entirely comfortable with. I wasn’t ready to reconcile Kellan with the deeper, darker part of my life.

I had mastered Spanish by the time I was nine, so following their swapped friendly barbs and inquiries about family members was easy enough. It wasn’t until Kellan mentioned ‘Alejandro Alvarez’ that my interest piqued, my spine tingling. Only Sammy and I had heard the name from the judge’s mouth.

“What do you know about Alvarez?” I interrupted, not missing the significant look the two men shared at my intrusion.

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